


The one where Jim is a Cat

by tresa_cho



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Aliens, Drinking, M/M, POV cat, cat fic, cat!Jim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-17
Updated: 2012-07-17
Packaged: 2017-11-10 03:24:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tresa_cho/pseuds/tresa_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The title pretty much says it all. Crackishness ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The one where Jim is a Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed. Read at own risk.

He met Leonard when he missed a branch and fell almost a full story onto the man's head.

Leonard howled, Jim hissed and spat, and suddenly found himself dangling from the scruff in front of six foot one bristling doctor.

“What the blazes-” Leonard peered at him. “You're a cat.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Jim meowed. Obviously Leonard did not speak cat, because he lifted an eyebrow and said nothing.

“Who's your owner?” Leonard felt around Jim's furry throat for a collar. Jim hissed when his huge fingers came in contact with the vicious scratch that stupid dog had given him the other day. Leonard's eyes instantly softened. “You got anyone, darlin?”

“No,” Jim meowed. Leonard definitely didn't understand, or he was just ignoring him.

“Okay. I'll take you home just for tonight. My little girl will love you,” Leonard said. “But first, you need stitches and a bath.”

Bath? Bath!? Oh _hell_ no.

Jim unsheathed his claws and Leonard yelped, dropping him another five feet. Jim took off, leaping through a gap in the fence.

“Suit yourself,” Leonard called after him.

Jim watched him walk past through the weeds lining the fence. He smelled of whiskey and sandalwood. Very unique. Jim flicked his tail before uncurling from his pounce position and turning.

Mistake.

Gary, the giant Mastiff that lived in this yard, had scented him. Jim arched his back and gave a warning hiss, but Gary was too big to care. He leapt, and Jim just barely managed to get out of the way. Gary swiped at his tail and knocked him off balance. Jim hissed, scrambling to get his feet under him.

Up the tree. Up the tree. Must get up the tree-

Gary lunged at him again, and Jim caught the full brunt of the blow to his side. He shrieked, but the strike managed to get him back on his feet. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, Gary pounding after him.

Jim knew there was another small gap in the fence on this end, and he made it through with seconds to spare. Gary slammed into the fence, growling, as Jim shot out the other side and straight into oncoming traffic. Luckily, they were all hovercars. Jim weaved his way across the street and into a dark alley on the other side.

He gasped for breath, leaning against the wall. As the adrenaline faded, pain flared from his side. He gingerly twisted to lick at the wounds, and found his fur matted in blood. He groaned low in his throat and was answered by an ominous roll of thunder.

“Great. This day can't get any better,” Jim said. He closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. His hind leg was starting to go numb. He needed help.

Leonard had said something about stitches...

Jim had no choice. He was too young to die in a back alley.

He set out, following Leonard's scent on the air. The trail led him to a nice residential zone with way too many dogs. He set his sights on a house just as the skies unleashed on him. Jim spent a moment to whine pitifully at his turn of fate, and crawled across a soaked yard. Slinking up the stairs to the nicely trimmed porch, he stayed on his belly until he reached the door.

Jim lay on the porch, dripping and panting. He was pretty bad off. He didn't even know if he could cry for help.

The door over him opened, and Jim tensed, even as the familiar scent of sandalwood washed over him. He whimpered, and Leonard crouched.

“What did you get yourself in to?” Leonard asked softly.

“What is it Len?” A woman's voice called from the hall. “What's out there?”

“It's that cat I was telling you about,” Leonard answered. “He showed up on the step. He looks bad, Joce.”

Leonard reached for him and Jim closed his eyes as his cool fingers brushed over soaked fur.

“I'll put Jojo up and you can bring him in.”

Footsteps on the stairs, and a young human voice gurgling with distinct content. Leonard picked Jim up gently, oh so gently, and cradled him to his chest. Jim whimpered again, and Leonard ran strong hands through his fur. “Hush darlin', I gotcha,” he said.

Jim closed his eyes.

When he came aware again, he was surrounded in soft warmth. He yawned and stretched out his front legs, pushing his claws deep into welcoming fabric. He purred, vibrating through his chest, all the way down to his toes.

“Oh good. You're awake.”

Jim jumped to his feet with a hiss. Leonard sat in a chair beside the table where Jim stood.

“Careful, darlin', you'll pull your pretty stitches,” Leonard said, leaning forward in the chair. Jim took a hesitant step backwards. His hind leg caught on a fold and he sat. Pain resonated through his chest, but he wasn't dead and he wasn't dying. “What's your name, little one?”

“Jim,” Jim meowed.

Leonard smiled and again, completely ignored him. He scritched Jim's head and under his chin, and despite himself Jim absolutely melted into the puddle of fabric. Talk about belly up. Jim purred until his entire chest vibrated with the intensity.

“There's a good kitty,” Leonard said, affection rolling off his tongue with a slick Southern accent. Jim knew that if heaven existed, this is what it would be. “I think I'm going to call you Tiberius.”

Jim jerked up, glaring at Leonard. Leonard laughed and continued scratching Jim's chin until Jim had no choice but to roll over again.

“You like that, huh? Tiberius it is.”

“Lord Almighty. You named it. I told you we can't keep a cat with a toddler in the house.” A woman with lovely brown hair entered the room. She walked to Leonard's chair and put her hands on his shoulders. “You name it, you get attached, and you can never get rid of it. What happened to it? It's covered in blood.”

“Must have gotten into a fight with one of the neighborhood dogs,” Leonard said, leaning back against the woman. She pushed her hand through his hair. “He was pretty bad off. I know we can't keep him, but he needs to heal up before I can even think about letting him loose. Please, Joce?”

“You are such a child sometimes, Len,” Joce said. She dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “Fine. The cat can stay for tonight. I don't want it near Jojo's room. Who knows what kind of diseases it has.”

Jim sent his ears back and narrowed his eyes. Leonard laughed again.

“You've made him angry. Look at his ears.”

“Whatever. Keep him away from Jojo. I mean it, Len.” She patted Leonard on the head and left. Jim heard her steps going back up to the second floor of their quaint house.

“She don't mean no harm,” Leonard said softly, leaning on the table to bring him closer to Jim. “She's more of a dog person.”

Jim bristled at the mention of 'dog'. Leonard petted his head again, making nonsensical soothing noises.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you do really need a bath, Tiberius,” Leonard said. “You stink like you've been skunked. Maybe a few times.”

Jim slid out from under Leonard's hand and hopped down from the table to one of the chairs. His side twinged, but he had to get away. No baths for him. Too much water. Too much water brought bad things.

He was halfway to the door when Leonard picked him up, squirming.

“No! You can't- Water has bad things.” Jim howled, digging his claws into Leonard's arm.

“Ow! Damn cat. Stop. I'm not going to hurt you,” Leonard said. True to his word, no matter how deep Jim dug his claws, Leonard's arms never tightened. Jim shivered, but withdrew his claws. Leonard sighed, and shifted Jim closer to his chest. “Thatta boy. Relax.”

The kitchen sink was already full of warm, sudsy water. Jim eyed it suspiciously as Leonard started to lower him towards it. No, no, no, no-

He didn't realise he was crying until all motion stopped. He was turned, and Leonard looked into his eyes. “I'm going to take care o'you, you hear me?”

Jim went limp, unable to help himself as his purr reflex kicked in.

“Good boy. Now let's get some of this grime off you.”

Leonard carefully lowered Jim into the basin of water. Jim did his damnedest not to scratch the ever-living-fuck out of Leonard's arms, but it was a close thing. He gripped the edges of the sink in sheer desperation so the water didn't swallow him whole. Leonard chuckled at him, and Jim tried to force back the flush of embarrassment welling in him. He wasn't made for water, damn it. If he were made for water, he'd be a god damn dog.

He couldn't stop the weak little cries as Leonard tried to force him deeper into the basin. His tail whipped water from the sink all over the counter and his handler.

“Hush, you're all right. I gotcha.” Leonard kept up his litany of murmurs as he sifted his fingers carefully through Jim's sodden fur. He took great care around Jim's stitches, but the torture couldn't be over quick enough.

Leonard scrubbed between his ears, rinsed him down with some weird, hose thing attached to the sink, and reached with one hand for a fluffy towel. Jim was lifted from the horrible basin of torture and wrapped in the towel. He squirmed, and Leonard pulled him close.

“See?” Leonard said, staring at the swirling water. Jim twisted, and stared at the murky water. It was brown with dirt and his blood. Leonard reached right into the disgusting water and pulled the plug. The drain swallowed the water with a horrifying gulping noise, and Jim cringed away from it. Leonard hushed him and walked away from the sink.

Jim didn't like being this high off the ground and wrapped in the towel, but for some reason he knew Leonard wouldn't drop him. Jim rested his head against Leonard's shoulder, and let the man rock him like he would a human infant.

Jim woke with a start, jolting upright. He was sandwiched on both sides by cool human bodies. He carefully got to his feet and started to pick his way across the bed. This wasn't the first time he had ended up in some strange woman's bed, but usually there wasn't a man beside her.

And normally she didn't wake up screaming.

Jim hissed and narrowly avoided a knee to the face as he scurried towards the edge of the bed.

“ _Leonard_!” Joce shrieked.

Leonard woke with a snort and Jim leapt from the bed. His side twinged viciously and his hind legs gave out. He wailed, struggling to take refuge under the bed from the yelling above him. He managed to slither under the bedskirt, and felt Leonard climb out of bed.

“You scared him, Joce!” Leonard crouched and lifted the bedskirt. He waggled his fingers at Jim, beckoning. Jim hissed at him.

“Scared him? Scared _him_! Leonard! You brought a stray cat into _our bed_!” Joce shouted, climbing from the bed. She hopped to the other side of the room and clambered up onto the armchair situated there. “Get it out!”

“He's hurt, Joce, he's not going to attack you,” Leonard said, still trying to grab at Jim.

“He certainly did a number on _you_ last night,” Joce accused.

Jim scooted out of Leonard's reach and saw she was right. Angry red claw marks dug into his skin up and down the arm reaching for Jim. Guilt overwhelmed him, and Leonard finally got hold of him and dragged him out from under the bed. Jim protested, but kept his claws firmly sheathed as Leonard grabbed him to his chest. Bare chest.

“That's because I was giving him a bath and checking for fleas,” Leonard said, his voice rumbling through Jim's body. “You know cats and water.”

Jim could see Joce clearly now. She had pulled her legs up on the chair as if he were a house rat trying to get into her shoes. He scowled and glared at her.

“You get him out of this house now,” Joce said. “I won't have it around the baby.”

“She's not a baby anymore, Joce, she's walking,” Leonard said. “I have to take him to the vet to get him neutered before I send him off anyway.”

_Neutered!?_

Jim hissed and brought his claws out. Leonard cried out and dropped him onto the bed. Jim took off like a shot, schooching through the cracked bedroom door and out into the hall. The only open door was the furthest down the hall, and Jim bolted into it.

The room was dark, and he just barely avoided killing himself on a stuffed toy on the floor. He stilled, crouched, and heard something shifting in the bed above him. A small human's breathing. A soft sigh. Shifting of bedclothes, and then-

“Cat.”

Jim jerked, every muscle in his body tense as the small human moved in her bed. She pulled back the covers and sat up. Jim couldn't do anything as she slipped from the bed and toddled to him. He held still as she reached out and pat him on the head. His ears went back but he kept himself still. This little human was important to Leonard. He couldn't hurt her.

“Oh my god!”

Light flooded the room and Jim hissed, squinting in the sudden blinding glare.

Joce swept into the room, scooping up the small human. She batted at Jim with a foot, and one strike connected with his sore side. He wailed, scurrying low under the bed, pressing against the wall as far away from Joce as he possibly could.

“Cat!” The little human cried.

“Hush, baby, the cat won't hurt you. Daddy's going to take care of it,” Joce said quietly.

Jim heard Leonard's footsteps enter the room. He shook, cornered. He hated this. He hated humans and their... stupid rules and their hurting voices-

“Joce, did you _kick_ him?”

“He was about to bite Joanna,” Joce said.

“He wouldn't. He's clearly been around humans for a good part of his life-”

“Then why were his _teeth out_ when I got here? You brought him into this house, now get him out.”

“He's hurt, Jocelyn. I put thirteen stitches into him yesterday. You can't go around kicking him! That's animal abuse. They put people away for less.”

The bed scraped along carpet, and a sliver of light poured into a widening crack between bed and wall. Jim pushed himself further under the bed, trying to stay out of the light.

“Damn it, Joce. He's so scared he's shaking.” Leonard appeared between the bed and wall, reaching for Jim. Jim swiped at him, arching his back with a hiss. “Hey,” Leonard said sharply. Jim froze, startled. Nobody talked to him like that- “Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Come on, Tiberius.”

“Jim,” Jim meowed. He held himself very still while Leonard wrapped a huge hand around him and tugged him gently from under the bed. Jim found himself held against Leonard's chest with utmost care.

Leonard pushed past Jocelyn and carried Jim into the bathroom in the hall. He shut the door and locked it before setting Jim down on the counter top. Jim stared at the faucet in anticipation. He knew what came out of that. The good water. He nosed at the faucet eagerly.

Leonard twisted the knob. A slow trickle of water leaked from the spiget, and Jim tucked his head under it, lapping at the fresh water puddling in the basin.

“Huh. Drinks from the faucet. Interesting.” Leonard stared at Jim. He reached to smooth his hand down Jim's back, but Jim shied, turning wary eyes on him. “I'm sorry. She's not... She's not usually like that. She thought you were going to hurt Joanna.”

Jim shook his head, flicking his tail. As if he could hurt something so obviously precious to Leonard.

Leonard sighed and sat down, his back to the door. Jim finally got a good look at the damage to his arms, and the crush of guilt threatened to knock him over. Angry red welts were drawn along both his arms, some still seeping.

Jim carefully made his way from the counter to the toilet to the floor, and plodded to where Leonard sat. He gently nudged Leonard's arm, and licked at an errant drop of blood. Leonard lifted his hand and cuffed Jim gently around the ear. Leaning into the touch, Jim closed his eyes.

When Leonard's hand fell away, Jim cautiously stepped into his lap. Leonard watched him, amused. “Lord. You have blue eyes,” he said.

Jim yawned and dropped himself in Leonard's lap. Leonard's hand slid over his back, resting on uninjured fur. This close, Jim could hear the irritated gurgle of Leonard's stomach, and the soothing beat of his heart. Jim let the sounds send him to sleep.

“Len, you can't stay in there forever.”

Pounding on the door woke Jim. He was on his feet instantly, and watched Leonard slowly come awake. He groaned, pushing Jim off him as he got to his feet. Jim winced with each crack and strain of muscle. Leonard opened the door to Jocelyn on the other side.

“I have to go to work,” she said. “Joanna's awake downstairs.”

“Got it,” Leonard said. “Have a good day.”

Jocelyn grunted noncommittally, but leaned in for a kiss. Leonard dropped a chaste peck on her cheek. She spared a moment to glare at Jim before turning towards the stairs. Jim heard the front door open and close, and she was gone.

“I guess I have to feed you,” Leonard said.

“That would be great,” Jim meowed.

Leonard smiled and led Jim down the stairs and into the kitchen. He tugged his PADD out of his pocket and leaned against the counter while he tapped away at it. Jim sat patiently at his feet, waiting. Leonard hummed.

“Says you can eat raw chicken. That's gross, but it's all I have right now. Hungry, little guy?” Leonard moved to the fridge and opened it. Jim did his best not to leap into the cool food storage. Leonard pulled a package of chicken from the fridge and cut it while Jim watched. He would not drool... He would not drool...

Leonard put the plate in front of him and Jim swallowed it down as fast as he felinely could.

“It's not goin' anywhere, kid,” Leonard said above him. Jim tucked his ears back and kept eating, picking the bones clean. Jim nudged them off the plate and onto the floor and looked at Leonard. He crouched, holding up the delicate skeleton. “You aren't going to eat this?”

Jim made a face and turned away. He wasn't a dog.

“Caaaaaat!”

Jim jumped, arching his back, and whirled to see Joanna waddling at him. He pressed his ears flat against his skull and let his tail fall between his legs.

“So she knows four words, then,” Leonard said. “Ma, Pa, cat, and gimme. Wonderful.”

She toddled to Jim and fell onto her ass beside him. He sneered at her until she reached for his tail and _yanked_.

“Gentle, baby girl, he has feelings too.” Leonard crouched, resting a hand over his daughter's. She giggled, tugging on Jim's tail. He whined, weathering it as best he could. “No, Jojo. Let go of the cat.”

“Cat! Gimme!” She squealed.

Leonard worked her fingers open and Jim was _gone_. He made it up onto the table and from there he slipped between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling.

“Tiberius! Come down from there. You're gonna get yourself killed.” Leonard grabbed at him. Jim hissed and slinked back further away from him.

“Cat! Gimme!” Joanna shrieked.

Leonard growled. “This is not going to work. Joanna, stop screaming.” He crouched in front of her. “Do you understand why Tiberius ran away from you?”

“Jim,” Jim meowed.

Joanna stared at Leonard, uncomprehending. Leonard rubbed a hand over his face wearily. “Does this hurt?” Leonard pinched a bit of Joanna's skin and she yelped. “That is what you did to him. He doesn't like it when you pull his tail like that. It hurts. Understand?”

Joanna blinked.

“Okay. It's a start. Don't pull his tail, Joanna. Now go back to your toys.” Leonard picked her up and patted her bum, sending her back to the room from whence she came. Jim watched her go, hearing her plop back onto the ground. The rustle of cheap plastic picked up as she played. “Tiberius, come down.”

Jim hissed and ignored Leonard. He gave up after a few more calls, and left the kitchen to join his daughter.

Jim waited. Leonard finally left the room and tromped up the stairs. Carefully, Jim hopped down from his hide out and made it to the floor with no issues. His side was healing nicely and barely hurt when he pounced now. He'd be good to leave soon.

Creeping through the door into Joanna's playroom was probably not the brightest thing he'd ever done. But there she was, sitting on the floor, banging some plastic things together with immense glee. He took a few more steps into the room, shoulders tense. She paused, and turned to him. The plastic toys hit the floor. She didn't make a move toward him, but kept her eyes on him as he moved closer.

He circled her slowly, and still she did not move towards him. He drew near enough to touch, and sat at her knee. He placed a paw on her tiny, chubby leg, and cocked his head. Joanna cooed and reached for him. The touch was more of a slap than a pet on the head, but Jim weathered it. She got overenthusiastic and leaned too far, toppling over on top of him.

He flattened against the carpet. She was laughing, sending warm vibrations up and down his spine. This... wasn't so bad. He could get used to this...

“Joanna!” Leonard's steps quickened, and Jim peeked an eye open to see Leonard crouch in front them. “He's... Enjoying this. You little ham!”

Jim yawned, and Leonard laughed, a great booming thing that Jim wanted to hear forever. Leonard pried his daughter off Jim and scooped Jim off the floor.

“Good god, man, you're purring like an engine,” Leonard said, draping Jim over his shoulder.

“Cat!” Joanna agreed.

“Good girl, Jojo. Are you hungry for lunch?”

When Jocelyn came home, Leonard left for his job at the hospital. Jim stared at the door for what seemed like hours, waiting for it to open and reveal Leonard, but the solid piece of wood didn't cough up a six foot something human, and eventually he forgot why he was sitting there.

He wandered around the house, scenting everything he could. He was in the laundry room when he heard strange footsteps approaching the front door. He padded silently into the hall and watched Jocelyn open the door. A strange smelling man stepped into the house and immediately swept Jocelyn into his arms. She laughed, shutting the door behind the man. She led him up to the guest room, the one next to Joanna's room, and the door slammed shut.

Jim heard the unmistakable sounds of humans mating from behind the door. Humans still largely mated for life, or at least kept only one partner at a time. Jim crept up the stairs and made his way into Joanna's room. She was asleep, her steady breathing a constant beat to Jocelyn's noise.

He leapt onto Joanna's bed and curled up at her back, unable to sleep. He knew he had to keep an eye on Jocelyn, though. Leonard wouldn't like it.

The routine of the house was pretty set. Leonard worked graveyard at the emergency room, and Jocelyn worked dayside as a something or other. When Leonard left, Jocelyn's male came to woo her in the room next to Joanna's. He was always gone before Leonard returned, though. And no matter how much Jocelyn griped about him, nobody made a move to force Jim out.

When Leonard got home from the hospital, Jim followed him around until he was set for bed. He climbed up after Leonard and shoved him until he was in a proper position for Jim to curl up in the crook of an arm. “Such'brat,” Leonard would always say, voice slurred with exhaustion. Jim just nudged his head against Leonard's.

One morning, Jocelyn had gone in early, leaving Jim and Leonard alone in the bed. She had forgotten to close the shades the night before, and a slant of bright sunlight struck across the planes of Leonard's bare chest. He had kicked the sheets back in his sleep because of the hot Georgian summer, and Jim couldn't blame him. It was hot. He wanted to be on the floor, where it was cooler, but he couldn't bring himself to move from Leonard's side.

Leonard opened his eyes, shifting luxuriously in the giant bed. Jim ducked an outstretched arm and rolled onto his stomach, grabbing at Leonard's arm with his paws. Leonard chuckled, ruffling Jim's healed belly, and Jim playfully nipped at his wrist. Leonard flipped him, and Jim voiced his discontent, landing on his feet with his fur up. Rolling his eyes, Leonard soothed his fur down and scratched under Jim's chin.

“Smart cat,” Leonard said. “Sometimes I get the feeling you understand more than you let on.”

Jim purred, his entire being awash in sheer pleasure. His bones felt like they would melt out of his body, and it was all the result of Leonard and his damn fingers.

“Such pretty blue eyes,” Leonard said. His hand moved to Jim's ruff, and he petted back Jim's fur along his spine. Jim slid closer and licked Leonard's cheek. “There's my boy. You love me.”

“Yes,” Jim meowed helplessly. He pressed his paw to Leonard's chest, arching his back into Leonard's touch. “Yes. Yes.”

Things went to shit when Leonard got sent home from the hospital early. There was some sort of five alarm, and Leonard had lost his patient. Sometimes you just couldn't save them.

Jim jerked when he heard Leonard's familiar steps on the porch. Jocelyn and her male were still mating. Jim sprang over Joanna, waking her, and careened down the stairs to the front door. Leonard shouted in surprise when Jim climbed up his pant leg and onto his shoulder.

“Jesus Christ, cat, what has gotten into you?” Leonard grabbed Jim off his shoulder and held him at arms length. Clawing at him, Jim tried to get him to turn around and leave, but Leonard's eyes were drawn elsewhere.

“Clay? What are you doing here? It's three in the morning.” Leonard set Jim on the ground, where Jim walked in tight circles around his ankles. “Joce? What's going on?”

“I can explain,” Jocelyn said.

Leonard took a step back, fumbling for the wall behind him. “You can't- Are you serious? You're _sleeping_ with him?”

Jocelyn moved closer, but Jim put himself between her and Leonard with a sharp hiss. She jerked away from him, Joanna in her arms.

“What the _fuck_ Jocelyn?” Leonard said, getting his voice back. “That's my _best friend_.”

“Oh come on, Leonard, do you mean to tell me you didn't see this coming?” Jocelyn asked, fury clear in her voice. “All the nights you're gone, your temper- You care more about your job than you do you family!”

“I was making money for us,” Leonard said. “Everything I've done has been for _us_! For our child! We're building a life together!”

“We haven't done anything together in a long time, Len,” Jocelyn said, gripping Joanna close. “It's always you making decisions for the house. For the house you're never in.”

“That's not true,” Leonard said. Jim cried, tasting Leonard's pain on the air.

“Shut up, cat,” Jocelyn said, nudging Jim out of the way with her foot. “I didn't even want you here.”

“You _agreed_ , Jocelyn,” Leonard said. “You said he could-”

“No, Len, _you_ said he could stay,” Jocelyn shot back. “When I told you to toss him out, you ignored me.”

“I'll, uh, get going-” Clay said awkwardly from where he stood at the foot of the stairs, clutching a sheet around his waist.

“Don't move. I ain't done with you,” Leonard said, shoving a finger at Clay.

“Don't drag him into this, Len. He's done nothing wrong.”

“Except _fuck my wife_ ,” Leonard roared.

Joanna startled awake, crying loudly at the noise. Jocelyn shushed her desperately, and Jim danced between her and Leonard.

“Get out, Leonard,” Jocelyn said.

“Like hell I will let you kick me out of my own home,” Leonard said. “Give me my daughter. Your boyfriend can take you to his place.”

“No. Joanna stays with me,” Jocelyn said, twisting away from Leonard's reaching hands. “Get out, Leonard, you're scaring her!”

Leonard's anger deflated like a torn balloon. Joanna's cries rang in the hall, and Leonard stumbled toward the door. He yanked it open, and Jim picked up a foot to follow, but was grabbed roughly by the scruff of his neck. He yowled, and Leonard turned.

Jocelyn _threw_ him. He was airborne a good ten seconds at least before coming in contact with Leonard's waiting arms. He couldn't help it. His claws were out and he sank them into Leonard's flesh as he caught his breath from his flight. Leonard gripped him tight as they walked away from the house.

When Jim retracted his claws, Leonard hissed in pain, and Jim had never hated himself more. He stretched, trying to nudge Leonard's chin and pressed himself closer.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Jim meowed. Leonard buried his face in Jim's fur, the soft, hiccuping sob utterly breaking Jim's heart.

Leonard jerked away from him suddenly, the loss of contact disorienting and awful. He let Jim to the ground and started to walk away. Away.

Jim trotted after him.

“Go away,” Leonard said.

“No,” Jim meowed.

“Scat, Tiberius. You're free. You didn't want to be with me anyway. You're an alley cat.” Leonard paused and shooed him with his boot. Jim shied away but kept after Leonard when he started walking again. “Git, cat!”

Jim dodged a stick with a hiss. Leonard tossed another one at him. Jim scrambled up a tree, hanging onto one of the branches and staring as Leonard walked away from him.

Jim let him get a few steps ahead, and then scurried down the tree to follow. Leonard walked towards the center of town, and straight into one of the bars. Overwhelmed by the smell of booze and vomit, Jim staggered into a side alley to wait. Last call was eventually...

Leonard stumbled out of the bar in the early morning, pausing for a moment at the door to empty his stomach onto the pavement. Jim inched forward, careful not to let Leonard see him. Coughing, Leonard leaned against the wall and dragged himself off the street and into an alleyway that Jim knew for a fact was not the most sanitary place to take a nap.

Leonard apparently didn't care. By the time Jim got to him, he was face down on the pavement.

“Bones,” Jim meowed, creeping closer. No response. He trotted closer, breathing shallowly amidst the stench of smoke and booze clinging to his human. “Bones. Get up.”

Jim nudged Leonard's face, trying to rouse him. Still nothing. Completely non-responsive and Jim could hear his heart sluggishly beating, nothing at all like its normal rhythm. Bad. This was bad.

He cried, pushing his paws to Leonard's neck to try and get him moving. Damn it. If only he were bigger. He needed to be bigger. He needed to save Leonard.

He's not really certain what happened after that. He remembered hearing Leonard's breath choke to a halt, at the same moment that a small group of aliens walked past the alley. Jim was desperate. And the next thing he knew, he was using his hands to roll Leonard onto his side and clear his airway. Leonard vomited, but Jim didn't have time to bother with being repulsed.

He pushed himself shakily onto two, extremely human legs and dove for the bar door.

“Help!” he said, slamming through the door. “There's a man dying outside!”

Silence suffocated his cry. Every single patron stared at him, and the barkeep snatched his shotgun from under the bar.

“Someone throw him a rag to cover up,” the barkeep said.

The police arrived two minutes later, and Jim struggled against them as they tried to herd him into their hover.

“There's a man! Leonard McCoy- He's right there. Please, he needs medical attention! Please!” Jim shouted over the sirens blaring. “Look!”

“He's right, sir. There's an unconscious man in the alley.”

“Please help him!” Jim said. One of the officers had a hand fisted in his hair, pulling his neck at an awkward angle.

“Okay, Birthday Suit. Calm down. An ambulance is on its way. Now stop fighting and get in the hover.” The officer shoved him in the back of the car.

They gave him some ratty looking clothes and he managed to dress himself without too many wrong guesses. The worst part was the cage they put him in. It smelled of urine and Jim had to grip the bars so he didn't try to claw his own skin off. He gave up rattling the bars early, when the guard smacked his fingers and the shock of pain surprised him to tears.

When it became apparent they would not be releasing him anytime soon, he sat on the floor pressed up against the door to the cage and started cataloging his new body.

“Hey, Birthday Suit, your ride's here.” A guard came and unlocked the cage door. Jim slipped out and put distance between him and the guard, shoulders hunched, ready for a fight.

Then, a familiar scent of sandalwood reached him. He spun so fast he stumbled, and Leonard's hands shot out to steady him.

“Who are you?” Leonard asked, narrowing his eyes.

“It's me, Bones,” Jim said with a breathless laugh. He gripped Leonard's arms as if they were the only thing holding him up. “It's me.”

“Tiberius?” Leonard asked hesitantly.

“Jim. God damn it,” Jim said, digging his fingers into Leonard's arms. “My name is Jim.”

“God. Your eyes,” Leonard said. “What- How did-”

Jim didn't let him finish. He grabbed him, crushing Leonard to his chest. Leonard let out a surprised noise, but wrapped his arms around Jim just as tightly, burying his face in Jim's throat.

“Thank you. Oh god-”

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry-”

Their words slid over each other, but Jim didn't care. Leonard was alive. He was alive and here. And he hadn't left.

The guard cleared his throat and they jerked apart, though Leonard kept a firm clasp on Jim's hand. Leonard tugged Jim along up the stairs with him.

Leonard took Jim to a motel room he had rented out for the night and sat him on the bed, framing him with both arms. “Explain,” Leonard said. “Are you an alien?”

Jim shook his head. “I'm a cat. Er. Was a cat. I think.”

“Can you switch back?” Leonard asked. Jim thought about it.

“I don't... I don't think so.” For the first time since he found himself with two legs, Jim felt scared.

“Hey. Hey, calm down,” Leonard said softly, reaching for Jim's face. Jim leaned into the touch. This was familiar. This he knew. “I won't let anything happen to you, hear me?”

“A group of aliens walked past the bar, I think they may have something to do with it,” Jim said finally. Leonard nodded, dragging his fingers through Jim's hair soothingly.

“How do you know how to speak?” Leonard asked.

“I listened,” Jim said. “I could always speak. You just didn't understand me.”

“Great. You too, then?” Leonard stood, fury in his slick movements.

“I didn't mean it like that. You literally couldn't understand me.” Jim stood and tried to follow Leonard, but tripped up on his own feet and Leonard once again kept him steady.

“I guess I have to teach you how to walk, then,” Leonard said, close enough they shared breath. Jim found himself hypnotized by Leonard's lips.

“I do,” Jim said, lifting his eyes to meet Leonard's. Leonard didn't understand. “I do. Love you.”

“Oh, kid,” Leonard said. “Oh, Jim.”

Leonard pulled him close, arms painfully tight around his shoulders. Jim didn't really care. He reveled in the new sensations, feeling his skin, soft and vulnerable, imprinted with the pressure of Leonard's arms. He wasn't sure he ever wanted this to end.

“You smell like jail,” Leonard said, voice muffled in Jim's coarse shirt.

“It was awful,” Jim agreed. Leonard pulled him into the bathroom and dumped him in the shower.

The next morning they joined Starfleet together.

Bonus Jojo and Jim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-UKbDMfnuI&feature=related


End file.
